1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display device, and more particularly, to a plasma display device utilizing surface discharge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each pixel of a surface discharge type plasma display device is provided with a scanning electrode and a common electrode facing an address electrode. An addressing discharge occurs between the address electrode and the scanning electrode, and a sustaining discharge occurs between the scanning electrode and the common electrode.
The structure of such a surface discharge type plasma display device is briefly explained with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a X-axis electrode 3 is formed on a substrate 2 in a predetermined pattern, and a first dielectric layer 4 is formed on the X-axis electrode 3 and the substrate 2. Formed on the first dielectric layer 4 are a Y-axis electrode 5 perpendicular to the X-axis electrode 3 and a pad electrode 6 which is parallel to the electrode 5 and has a predetermined width and a predetermined length. The pad electrode 6 is electrically connected to the X-axis electrode 3. Further, a second dielectric layer 7 coats the first dielectric layer 4, the Y-axis electrode 5, and the pad electrode 6.
When a predetermined voltage is applied across the electrodes 3 and 5, a discharge occurs between the pad electrode 6 and the Y-axis electrode 5. However, since the pad electrode 6 is electrically connected to the X-axis electrode 3 via a protrusion 6a through a hole in the first dielectric layer 4, there are difficulties in manufacturing the device.
Referring to FIG. 2, another embodiment of a conventional surface charge type plasma display device includes a rear substrate 10, address electrodes 11 formed on the rear substrate 10, a dielectric layer 12 formed on the substrate 10 provided with the address electrodes 11, partition walls 13 formed on the dielectric layer 12 for maintaining a discharge distance and preventing cross-talk discharges between pixels, a front substrate 16 to be attached on the rear substrate 10, and scanning electrodes 14 and common electrodes 15 alternately formed on the lower surface of the front substrate 16. In addition, fluorescent layers 17 are formed in discharge spaces defined by the partition walls 13, a dielectric layer 18 is formed on the lower surface of the front substrate 16, the scanning electrodes 14 and the common electrodes 15. A discharge gas fills in the discharge spaces between the rear substrate 10 and the front substrate 16.
As shown in FIG. 3, when a predetermined voltage is applied across the electrodes 14 and 15, ions in the discharge gas gather toward the dielectric layer 12, and a trigger discharge occurs between the address electrodes 11 and the common electrodes 15 resulting in the formation of charged particles at the lower surface of the dielectric layer 18 of the front substrate 16. In this state, as a predetermined voltage (V) is applied across the scanning electrodes 14 and the common electrodes 15 according to a video signal, a sustaining discharge occurs in the discharge space (S). At this moment, the formation of plasma occurs in the gas, and accordingly ultraviolet rays are radiated. Then, the fluorescent material layer is excited by the ultraviolet rays and emits light.
However, the above-described plasma display device has the following problems.
First, since the gap between address electrodes 11 and scanning electrodes 14 is relatively wide, a high voltage, about 300 V, has to be applied across common electrodes 15 and address electrodes 11 to realize a trigger discharge. Therefore, the life span of the display panel of the device is relatively short due to the aging effect of operation at a high voltage.
Second, since a voltage has to be applied across the scanning electrodes and the common electrodes for the sustaining discharge, a complicated driving mechanism and circuit are required. In addition, since an electrostatic capacitance between the scanning electrodes 14 and the common electrodes 15 is relatively small, a high energy plasma is not formed properly and therefore the display device cannot achieve an appropriate brightness. Furthermore, since the sustaining discharge occurs in the space below the scanning electrodes 14 and the common electrodes 15, partition walls 13 are required to prevent optical interference between pixels.